Blackie Taylor

Sherise Bourbeau · Post by **Sherise Bourbeau** » 22 Jun 2019 10:22 am

I am Blackie Taylorâ€™s granddaughter. It is with great heartache to bring this news. My grandfather, Blackie Taylor, passed away this morning.

Gary Watkins · Post by **Gary Watkins** » 22 Jun 2019 10:25 am

Sherise Bourbeau wrote:I am Blackie Taylorâ€™s granddaughter. It is with great heartache to bring this news. My grandfather, Blackie Taylor, passed away this morning.

I am so sorry to hear this. Praying for your family!

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 22 Jun 2019 10:33 am

I'm saddened to hear this. I been missing Blackie at the Mesa AZ. show lately.
God rest you in peace Blackie.
My prayers and condolences for the family.

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 22 Jun 2019 10:42 am

Godspeed Blackie and thank you for my first steel lesson ever.

I am sad to hear of his passing.

Condolences to Sherise and Blackie's family.

He was a pillar in the Socal pedal steel community along with Gene Fields, his friend.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 22 Jun 2019 10:45 am

I'm so bummed to hear of this. Blackie was my first and only private instructor, getting me started on this amazing journey with this amazing instrument and its wonderful community which is virtually a family to me. Thanks for the leg up, Blackie, hope you're having fun jamming with Moon, the Big E and many others in Steel Guitar Heaven!

Blackie playing the 2009 Phoenix show.

Blackie with Norm Hamlet, 2008 Phoenix show

Blackie playing at the 2008 Phoenix show.

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 22 Jun 2019 10:46 am

Here in my household, we are deeply saddened to hear this. Blackie had a huge influence on so many of us in the steel community! Deepest condolences and prayers to the family

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 22 Jun 2019 10:50 am

He was my first teacher too and a real breath of fresh air in a world that was lacking........ great guy and happy that he left his mark on me~~

Jon Zimmerman · Post by **Jon Zimmerman** » 22 Jun 2019 1:12 pm

Sad to see him traveling on to a better place, Sherise. Your Grampa was a very capable, talented, energetic music man.. a kind of West Coast's Bobbe Seymour in a way. I soaked up all things Pedal Steel first at the small store in a Hawaiian Gardens strip mall, thence to a larger place he moved it to in nearby Garden Grove...(or Stanton?) Celebrity players would drop by for a showcase or a jam while on tour there. My visits became more infrequent as family/career interfered with less serious avocations. But his legacy lives on here on this Forum, so many mention his name and how they developed skills via his tutoring and advice.
Time for a rest now Blackie. They will think of you often.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 22 Jun 2019 1:28 pm

Blackie has been a friend to me since 1968, when I started being a serious steel player. I will miss him at the shows and chatting about the "old days." Pick on, brother.

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 22 Jun 2019 3:42 pm

I knew Blackie since 1970,he was one of my best
friends,a true gentleman of true class,Blackie was
best man at my wedding,and lola also graced the occation,such fond memories,will someone please
notify me of the services,and prayers to his family.

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 22 Jun 2019 4:47 pm

I'm still using my Goodrich VP that I got from Blackie back in 1972. R.I.P. - JE:-(>

Junior Knight · Post by **Junior Knight** » 22 Jun 2019 5:43 pm

He was a great person and player to all!
Prayers up for the family!!

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 22 Jun 2019 8:03 pm

Sad news. Blackie was a beloved fixture in the SoCal country scene. A friend to all. He will be missed.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 22 Jun 2019 10:04 pm

That is really sad news. My prayers and condolences to the family.

Walter Stettner
Vienna, Austria

autry andress · Post by **autry andress** » 23 Jun 2019 6:42 am

I got to know Mr. Taylor threw the GFI Room at the Steel
conv. In Irving. He sure new a lot of Ralph Mooney stories
he would share with me.
Sure gonna miss him.
Prayers for the family at this time.
Autry Andress

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 23 Jun 2019 7:09 am

Sad news. Blackie was a friend to the steel guitar community, and I will miss him.
Chuck

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 23 Jun 2019 7:56 am

I know how well I knew him, Mr.Taylor. I know I'm the only one who would call him by his real name, O'Fay. What an honor to be his friend of many,many years & to pick with him on many sessions & gigs. <> R.I.P. my dear ole friend Mr.Blackie Taylor = O'Fay .... May God our Father bless his Family with joy in his honest way of life. The Eiffert Family

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Jun 2019 10:03 am

I first met him at a shop he had in Orange County and bought my first Sho-Bud packaseat from him. He always had a good attitude, knew all the LA area players, and allowed clumsy me to mess around on his steel guitars.

I ran into him at all the local guitar shows. He didn't always remember me, but he was always pleasant.

Jerry Lee Newberry · Post by **Jerry Lee Newberry** » 23 Jun 2019 1:58 pm

So sorry for the loss of Blackie. Iâ€™m sure he will be missed greatly.

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 23 Jun 2019 4:47 pm

My friend, the late Chuck Morphis moved from So/Cal to the Central Valley many years ago and he always talked about the time he spent with Blackie, as he turned Chuck on to the Steel Guitar. Blackie mentored many players in his lifetime and left a lot of friends at his passing.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 23 Jun 2019 5:44 pm

I visited with Blackie at his shop in Orange back in 1982 on my way to Jeff Newmans school in Nashville ...very gracious and welcoming man and thoroughly enjoyed meeting him - RIP Blackie

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 23 Jun 2019 11:17 pm

This is very sad. Blackie and I have been friends for 40 years. He will be missed by every steel guitarist in Southern California.

R.I.P. old friend.

Larry Bales · Post by **Larry Bales** » 24 Jun 2019 4:34 am

Sat on stage on my right side for more years than I can remember. I am so very very sad

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 24 Jun 2019 1:15 pm

Sorry to hear about Blackie. I spent more than a few afternoons at his shop in Hawaiian Gardens.
Vaya con Dios, black...

Mark Ala · Post by **Mark Ala** » 24 Jun 2019 4:20 pm

I had my first steel lesson with him. I didn't know what a pedal steel was and a guitar friend of mine told me where his shop was (Hawaiian Gardens 1974). When I heard him demonstrate on one of his steels I was hooked! He stayed in the game a long time and can still hear him playing at the Holiday II in El Monte.

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